Tottenham v Leicester: Premier League tips and betting preview

Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 1.30pm Sunday

Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham have been riding their luck in the absence of England aces Harry Kane and Dele Alli but that good fortune could desert them against Leicester at Wembley.

It took a howler from Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka for Tottenham to finally find a way past the Magpies last weekend.

And that followed late goals to steal wins against Fulham and Watford.

Pochettino will be fairly sanguine about the manner of this latest trio of league successes and Spurs fans doubtless share his view. Nine points out of nine from matches where they have been well below full strength is a massive plus and keeps them on the periphery of the title battle.

But they could be vulnerable against Leicester, who have made a habit of raising their game when they play the top teams.

The Foxes are exactly the sort of side you wouldn’t trust at a short price at home but they are often worth a punt at fancy odds in fixtures such as this.

After all, Wembley is no fortress for Pochettino’s men. They have lost four times at their temporary headquarters this season and that was before they were forced to go into battle minus Kane and Alli.

The Foxes have picked up 18 points on the road compared to just 14 at home.

They look as though they are losing their way under Claude Puel having taken only one point out of a possible 12 in the Premier League since their horrible 2-1 defeat at Newport County in the FA Cup.

But therein lies the danger of paying too much attention to one set of stats. Over the past six weeks, Leicester have beaten Chelsea and Manchester City and drawn 1-1 with Liverpool.

Puel continues to divide opinions, just as he did at Southampton, and it seems the Frenchman’s time at the King Power could be nearing its end. Puel is a short price in the market to be the next top-flight gaffer to lose his job.

But Leicester are still a danger, especially on their travels and in Jamie Vardy they possess a potentially potent weapon.

Spurs don’t like the sight of him – the England frontman has been directly involved in seven goals in his last seven league appearances against Tottenham, with four goals and three assists.

And that pace and eye for goal is best seen when Leicester are away and he can get space in behind defences – 11 of his last 15 league goals have come in away fixtures.

He hasn’t found the net since scoring the only goal at Everton on New Year’s Day and he is clearly a grumpy bunny. But Puel can ill afford to be without his prized forward, especially at Wembley where Vardy found the net twice in a 5-4 loss against Spurs in May.

Premier League standings

Recommendation
Leicester
1pt 24-5 Betfred

Bet on this game at Soccerbase.com

Team news
Tottenham
Harry Kane and Dele Alli are back in light training. Ben Davies (groin) and Eric Dier (virus) are out.

Leicester
Marc Albrighton (hamstring) is out for the season. Daniel Amartey (broken leg) is also ruled out.

Key stat
Tottenham have drawn for a record-breaking 29 Premier League matches.

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport

Like us on Facebook RacingPostSport